Deformed: Book 3: Unwanted
by PinkRose0106
Summary: Third and final book in the Deformed trilogy. Mallow has already lost so much things-a proper home, a brother, and a sib troop. She doesn't want to lose her friends, either. She just worries that it might not be enough to defeat Spectrum... Rated T for possible violence.
1. Chapter 1

Mallow woke up the next morning before anyone else did. She could understand Caldera, and Jackal had been working hard to keep them safe. She stood up to try to find some food, hoping to make it back to a safer place by noon, even if that was the Mud Kingdom.

She managed to catch five birds, small but enough. When she walked back, Jackal had woken up. She wondered what kind of look would be in his eyes if he didn't have the fabric over it. Determination? Fear? Joy? She sat beside him and gave him two birds.

"Did you mean what you said last night?" Jackal asked. "About revenge, and how it's a waste of time."

Mallow sighed, and gently nudged Caldera to wake her up. "When Frute died, at first I had thought that it was Vervain. But a day or two after, I noticed that he missed him too. Assuming that a murderer wouldn't miss whoever they murdered, I tried to remember who killed him. I wasn't allowed anywhere near the battlefield. It was mainly against SandWings on Blaze's side. So I went to the desert…and one year later, I realized that I didn't really need to avenge his death. I just missed him. That's how I met your parents and started watching over you." Mallow said. She poked at her bird. She didn't like explaining herself, nor was she used to doing so. Vervain would just assume.

Jackal flicked his tail and started eating. "Well, better late than never, I guess." He replied. "On the bright side, if you never decided that you needed to avenge your brother's death, then I'd most likely be stuck in my house all day and you'd most likely be more miserable than what you are."

Mallow nodded, somewhat agreeing. She nudged Caldera again. "Come on, sleepy scavenger head. Wake up and eat; I want to get back to my mound today." She said.

Caldera muttered something, then slowly opened her eyes and sat upright. She looked around. "Did Spectrum leave?" She asked.

Mallow explained what happened the previous night to Caldera, while plucking off the feathers of her bird. When she finished, Caldera nodded, and Mallow gave her two birds.

"Shouldn't you take the extra bird?" Caldera said. "You're bigger than me; you need more than just one bird to keep you full."

Mallow hated it whenever someone did that. The worst part was that she could never properly explain why. She just shook her head and started eating her own bird. It was silent for a little bit, until they all finished. Mallow took it upon herself to look at Spectrum's dead sister's grave before leaving. Reading what was written seemed so much better then what Vervain had put on Frute's grave.

Here lies Frute, the most obvious of us all and the one who should've never lived in the first place. May the world of dead dragons greet you with hatred and disrespect for the rest of eternity. Mallow was briefly brought back to when Vervain wrote that, and how Flora seemed hurt by it but didn't protest. How immediately Vervain shot venom at it, melting half of the grave. Since then, the grave has been knocked down and broken even further. It's been nearly four years, and yet Mallow still remembered it like it was yesterday. She looked back at Jackal and Caldera, which were checking and gathering the supplies.

I won't let you die like Frute did, Mallow thought. By now, they were like her troop. The dragons that she fought, loved, and cared for. A real troop. Not like Vervain and Flora where everything is built on lies and threats. She wasn't going to let anyone die.


	2. Chapter 2

Mallow led her friends back to her mound. It took a little bit longer since they had to go around the scavenger den, but it seemed to be strangely peaceful for a constantly-used battleground.

As she passed MudWings closer to the heart of the Mud Kingdom, they either looked away or growled. She noticed her two aunts and uncle practicing fighting, the only person who died from their troop her mother. It was strange; Mallow sometimes wished that her mother was still alive, the same with her father, although neither of them cared for them like they could've. She brushed the thoughts away as they got closer to her mound, though.

She hesitated walking into it immediately, knowing it wasn't uncommon for Vervain to decide he wanted to pick a fight. She normally somehow snuck away.

Mallow shook her head, and after she knew it was clear she sat down inside her mound. Jackal and Caldera sat on either side of her.

"What are we going to do about Spectrum?" Jackal asked after a short while of silence. "We can't just stand by and not do anything. And I'm pretty sure no one here can actually fight."

"Just because I haven't fought a dragon in a while doesn't mean that I can't fight." Mallow retorted.

"Catching game doesn't count." Jackal replied. "I know for a fact that for years you haven't actually fought anyone. Whether that is out of your own ability or someone else's pity isn't the problem." He turned to look at Caldera. "And I'm pretty sure you haven't even fought anyone in your life. No offense."

"Why would I take offense to that?" Caldera asked. "I grew up watching dragons die. I didn't get much practice to do the same, nor did I want to."

"But we can't just talk to her." Mallow pointed out. "I tried, but she didn't listen. And there's no way we can use magic against her, either. Unless we hire an assassin, which ain't no one got the money for, it doesn't seem like we can get rid of her."

"So this is it?" Caldera said. "We can't get any farther? Pyrrhia's going to be doomed?"

"It can't be." Jackal replied. "If we go back to my house, maybe my parents can convince Thorn to send some Outclaws to fight her. Or maybe we can try something else…I don't know. But we can't give up. We can think of something. I overheard my parents talking about the best way to take down an enemy one night—I couldn't sleep that night, so I was going to practice spells and stuff. They said that the best way is to spend time with them, get to know them, then use what you learned against them. It was a dangerous strategy; most dragons know when they're being spied on or tricked. But luckily for us, we have that advantage."

"Spoken like a true war general." Mallow said. She patted him on the head.

"Thanks." Jackal murmured back.

"In that case, then what do we know about Spectrum?" Caldera asked. "Let's see… She was born sometime soon after the Scorching, she had a sister, said sister made a promise. What else?"

"She's an animus, seer, and mind reader." Mallow added. "And if I had to guess, she's also pretty strong."

"That's already enough to form a plan." Jackal said. "But to make sure it works…we might have to ask my parents. They—my mother, at least—have experience. And although I'd like to avoid them at all costs for their safety and my sanity, it's the best I've got."

"Sounds good enough for me," Caldera said.

Mallow nodded in agreement. "When would you like to leave?" She asked.

"Maybe closer to night." Jackal suggested. Mallow nodded again. With any luck, this'll be over in the next week.


	3. Chapter 3

They started making there way back to Jackal's house after the sun went down. It was relatively silent, until Mallow spoke once they got to the inn she always went to while going to Jackal's house.

"What are we going to tell your parents, Jackal?" She asked. As soon as the innkeeper opened the door, she walked in. Jackal and Caldera followed. "We can't tell them the truth—or at least not the complete truth."

"We tell them that Spectrum wanted to leave early." Jackal replied. "And we need their opinion because we were asking because Spectrum is actually evil."

"We're going to tell the truth about that part?" Caldera said.

"It's most likely the only thing they would believe." Jackal said. "But we need to leave as soon as possible. I'm not staying any longer than I have to."

Mallow nodded, and opened the door to her usual room in the inn. There was only two beds, but she guessed that she could sleep on the floor. "Okay, get some rest. It's going to be morning soon. You two can sleep on the beds." She said. Caldera nodded and laid down on one bed, but Jackal hesitated a moment longer before laying down on the other. Mallow walked over to the corner of the room and laid down, her tail falling over her snout.

…

Mallow's dreams were haunted by memories of her dragonet-hood and death. First came her defeat to Vervain where he nearly killed her. Then came Frute's death. The writing on Frute's grave. As the years passed it barely even stood, a small rock no bigger than his talon would've been. Mallow dreamt of the way she watched Vervain bully Flora, how he threatened everyone with his venom like it was a gift rather than the part of him he would rather forget. Mallow knew how he felt; she knew he wished he was a full-blooded MudWing.

Just before she woke up, she heard the unmistakable voice of a young dragonet who died too soon. Frute.

"It wasn't you fault, Mallow. I knew I was weak and I went into battle anyway. Vervain told me before the battle 'If you want to fight you can, but if you don't I won't stop you from staying.' He gave me the choice, just about the only good thing he said to me." Frute's voice echoed in Mallow's head. "If it's anyone's fault, it's mine. I'm sorry."

After that, Mallow woke up. She was fully awake and alert instantly. She could still hear Frute's voice echo in her head. She looked over at Jackal and Caldera. They were both still sleeping, but Jackal looked like he was going to wake up soon. Mallow stood up and went through the supplies, and pulled out a single scroll and a small bottle of ink. Slowly, she wrote in very sloppy handwriting:

Here lies Frutescens, a true brother to all. May he never know the pain that his brother has condemned him with.

She rolled it back up, and pulled out a small tie to make sure it didn't get unrolled. Once it was secured, she put the scroll and ink back in the bag. When she got home, she would replace Frute's grave with another stone with that written on it. As long as she wasn't attacked by anyone from here to there. She walked outside of the room to find a small bowl of water to rinse the ink off her talons, then went back to the room. The other two were still asleep. Mallow sat back in the corner, and quietly hummed a song that was Frute's favorite while he was alive.


	4. Chapter 4

It didn't take too long for Jackal to wake up. He sat up, and looked at Mallow.

"You seem…oddly cheerful." He said. "It's a little concerning, actually. Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." Mallow replied. "I just had tons of weird dreams and actually did something productive within the first hour I was awake. How'd you sleep?"

"Normal, I guess." Jackal said. "I had a single dream where I couldn't see anything and my parents were fighting, but other than that I was fine."

"Good to hear." Mallow said. She looked over at Caldera, who was still sleeping. "Start packing things up. I'll try to get Caldera up." Jackal nodded, and walked over to the bag. There wasn't a lot of stuff to put away. To Mallow, the hardest part would be waking up Caldera without feeling guilty about it. She gently nudged the small SkyWing dragonet, who muttered something quietly and rolled over. Mallow poked her, and this time Caldera's eyes actually opened. The SkyWing sat up, and looked at Mallow.

"I'm up." Caldera muttered sleepily. Mallow stepped back a little bit.

"You can sleep longer once we get to Jackal's house." Mallow replied. She looked over at Jackal. "Both of you."

"We're going to go to my parents' house for advice." Jackal said. "Not to be treated like a newborn dragonet. I can 'accidentally' break things if needed, to stop a conversation. I've done it before." He handed the bag to Mallow, and she put it on.

"Are you ready?" Mallow asked, turning to Caldera.

The dragonet nodded. "Yeah." She replied.

Mallow started leading the small group outside of the inn and towards Jackal's house, the three moons high above them.

…

They reached Jackal's house quicker than normal, probably because they ran a little bit to save time. The sun was rising when they reached the house.

Mallow knocked on the door. She wasn't surprised when Jackal's father, Ocotillo, opened it.

Ocotillo looked behind him, and called, "Saguaro! Rose Mallow is back. I'm leaving." He walked out the door, his tail curled in a way so then it was harmless. Jackal seemed slightly annoyed, but didn't say anything.

Saguaro, Jackal's mother, came to the door next. Hatred shone brightly in her eyes. She pulled in Jackal, and whispered a few words to him. He muttered something back, but walked upstairs anyway. Saguaro looked at Mallow. "Come in." She said. She stepped aside, and Mallow and Caldera walked inside. "I advise that the SkyWing goes upstairs." Saguaro said. "With Jackal." Mallow looked down at Caldera, who only nodded and went with Jackal upstairs. Mallow faced Saguaro.

"I'm guessing you're going to fire me when I was never really hired?" Mallow said.

"You left with my son in the middle of the night with no warning." Saguaro hissed. "What were you thinking? Where did you take him?"

"Spectrum—the NightWing—wanted to leave, so we did." Mallow replied. "And we just wondered in the Mud Kingdom a little bit."

"You're lucky I don't kill you right now." Saguaro said. "You're lucky I want my dragonet to be happy. I expect you to leave tomorrow morning. With that SkyWing. I'll tell Jackal myself."

Mallow nodded, trying not to get slightly annoyed. Saguaro was right; she was lucky that she wasn't killed on sight. Hopefully they could still get what they came for.


	5. Chapter 5

Mallow walked upstairs with Saguaro at her tail. She didn't like being followed, especially if it was a dragon who seemed ready to kill someone. Mallow walked over to Caldera and Jackal, who were sitting in the corner sorting puzzle pieces.

Jackal was the first to look up. Mallow sat beside Caldera, and she heard Jackal sigh quietly.

Saguaro stood by the staircase. "Jackal, dear, come here please." She said. It almost didn't sound like the same dragon who was mad at Mallow mere minutes ago.

Jackal did as he was told, taking his time. When he was close enough to his mother, he stopped. Saguaro started whispering quietly to him. Once she finished, Jackal flicked his tail and muttered something back. The conversation continued like this for a few minutes, Mallow and Caldera sitting in the corner, waiting. Finally, Jackal flicked his tail again and walked back to them. He sat back down, obviously annoyed.

"Remember, you are leaving tomorrow morning, and keeping my son here." Saguaro hissed. She walked back down the stairs.

Mallow looked at Jackal. "I assume she didn't tell you anything more than what she told me?" She asked.

"A threat, a lie, a motto." Jackal replied. "She said that if you didn't leave by tomorrow she'll kill you, that she'll feel no regret from doing so, and the Outclaw motto 'Act smart, stay alive, stick together—but don't be an idiot.' And I know she was lying about that second part, because she would regret it because of me. Because she thinks that I'll be miserable. Although it doesn't really matter because I'm already miserable."

"She didn't quote the Outclaw motto for me, but she almost said the same thing." Mallow said.

"Will we even be able to get what we came for?" Caldera asked.

"I can see if she'll answer the question whenever we eat." Jackal said. "She'll answer any question I ask. Then once we know, you two can leave."

"And what about you?" Mallow said. It may be silly, but she didn't want to just…leave Jackal. She's been watching him as a dragonet-sitter for just about three years. It would be like loosing Frute again, except worse because she would have the ability to see him again. While some dragons may not understand why that would be worse, to Mallow it made it feel like she was just ignoring them.

"I'll sneak out a night or two after you leave." Jackal replied. "With any luck, Mother will just hire another dragon to take care of me. And from what I know of the dragons in the area, they won't pay much attention to the dragonet they're supposed to be watching, and instead trying to figure out the best way to steal as much stuff as possible without being caught. The only problem would be that you wouldn't be able to go very far if I were to try to catch up."

"Where would we go?" Caldera said. "It's not like we know where Spectrum will be."

Jackal seemed to sit up straighter. He quickly got up, and Mallow watched as he pulled out two compasses from a trunk farther along the wall. He brought them back, and while holding them he muttered, "I enchant these compasses to show the direction of the dragon that the holder wishes to follow." He held them out. "I wish to follow Spectrum of the NightWings." The compasses both changed direction, to the south.

"Jackal, you're a genius." Mallow said. She took one of the compasses, and it stayed in the same direction. She put it in her bag.

"Jackal, I have breakfast ready!" Saguaro's voice called. "If your friends want some, tell them to catch it themselves!"

Jackal sat the compass down, and went downstairs to eat. Mallow took out some fruit she managed to take a few days earlier, and gave some of it to Caldera and kept some for herself.


	6. Chapter 6

Mallow and Caldera finished eating about ten minutes before Jackal came back up.

"Did you ask her?" Mallow asked.

Jackal nodded. "I tried not to be obvious. Luckily, she doesn't know Spectrum very well, so I was able to be mostly true about the facts." He said. "Mother said that, in this case, it would be best to try to avoid anything that would cause her to get upset. Maybe threaten her with scavengers. Since she was close to her sister, we can try to talk her down by talking about her sister, what her sister would've wanted, that sort of thing. Mother also said that it would be best to avoid fighting if you're going against a strong enemy. Plants like dragonflame cactus work very well in these sorts of situations."

"I think we can work with that." Mallow replied. "But if it does come down to a fight, I need you two to get as far away as you can. I don't want you getting hurt. Maybe find someone who can help."

Both Jackal and Caldera nodded, but didn't reply other than that. The three continued working on the puzzle.

…

When night came, and Saguaro called Jackal down for dinner, Mallow started packing up her things. Caldera was putting away the puzzle. Once both Mallow and Caldera were done, Mallow put the bag on and led her small, wingless friend outside.

"I hope to never see you again." Saguaro hissed as Mallow and Caldera walked outside.

Mallow took out the compass as soon as the door closed, and walked with one talon holding it out. She mainly focused on the compass, the direction it was in, but she held her wing out so then it was over Caldera, and her head was titled in such a way so then she didn't run into a rock or another dragon.

They walked silently for a while. Caldera spoke, silently, once they left the oasis town—or at least most of the buildings.

"I feel sorry for Jackal." She said. "The way his parents fight, how they treat him…in a way, it makes me glad I don't have parents."

"You have to keep in mind that he wanted to do this." Mallow replied. "It may have been reluctant and a little regretful, but he agreed. You have to admire that. While his parents may not think of it, he would've made a great soldier, even if he was completely blind. He rarely gives up, and I've seen how well thought out some of his make-belief plans are. I think he can survive a day or two with his mother."

"Yeah." Caldera said. "Haven't you been watching over him for a few years?"

"Three years." Mallow said. "Since Jackal was one. Well, more-or-less. I was three when I started watching him."

"They let a three-year-old dragonet watch a one-year-old?" Caldera asked. "That's only a two year difference."

"I think that they believe I'm older." Mallow said. "Since I was born bigwings, I'm the biggest. And I'm also a bit bigger than most bigwings, which is a little odd because RainWings tend to have smaller builds. Frute used to call me the biggest bigwings in Pyrrhia. But keep in mind that we were only one. Everything seemed big to us." She laughed a little, a tiny bit sadly. She missed Frute. No one that knew him didn't. But she knew that one day, she'd have to let go.

"I sometimes wonder if I had any siblings." Caldera said quietly. "Then I remember that if I did, they wouldn't care for me like you treat your siblings. Even though they hate you, you still show them kindness. I admire you for that."

"Thanks." Mallow replied. With that, their conversation ended, and they continued walking. To find Spectrum, and to stop her from possibly destroying Pyrrhia.


	7. Chapter 7

Mallow decided to wait by the Scorpion Den for Jackal. Outside, of course. Her and Caldera kept up the sleep-during-the-day schedule, although Mallow didn't sleep very much. Whether she claimed it to be because she just wasn't tired or because she didn't completely trust the area depended on the situation.

Two days after they first arrived at the Scorpion Den, five days after they left Jackal's house, the blind SandWing animus came. It was at night, the moons high overhead.

Mallow watched as the young dragonet walked closer to them.

"Did anything happen?" Mallow asked. "You seem…slightly more cautious than normal."

"My parents are Outclaws, for moons sake." Jackal hissed in reply. "This would be the first place they looked! 'Hey, Thorn, have you seen this dragonet? Blind, has a piece of fabric on his head? Looks similar to his father?' 'Why, yes, I have. He just left with a MudWing and a SkyWing without wings.' 'Oh, great. Which direction did they go in so then I can kill them?' Not the best idea." He paused, then added. "But I guess it's not the worst, either."

"Well, there's no rest for the heroic, so let's get going as soon as everyone's ready." Mallow said. "To be honest, I'll be happier when we aren't around lots of dragons."

"Agreed." Both Jackal and Caldera said, at relatively the same time. They both had different reasons, Mallow knew—Jackal is probably more concerned of his father or Thorn seeing him, but Caldera probably just doesn't like being surrounded by dragons. Mallow's excuse is that she's not much of a dragon who likes talking to others. And most of these dragons were older, too—adults who grew up around others who would kill them if they wanted to. Mallow didn't really like dragons who would instantly kill her, without reason—she could stand Vervain, because technically he had a reason, along with soldiers in the war, who's reason is to not be killed for not killing.

Jackal sat down beside Mallow, huddled underneath her wing. Gentle heat radiated from his scales, like all SandWings' scales did. The trio of dragonets sat together for a little while longer, until finally Mallow decided they should leave. She stood up, and the two younger dragonets followed. She still had the small amount of supplies with her—she knew better than to leave them on the ground, or to carry too much.

"Okay, let's go. We shouldn't waste too much time." Mallow said. She opened up her bag again, and Jackal set the compass he had come with in there, and she pulled out her own. It still faced south. "How about you two walk in front of me? I want to be able to see you." She handed Caldera the compass. "You can lead, and Jackal, stay close. I'll take up the rear."

Caldera nodded. She started walking, and Jackal followed. After looking back briefly, Mallow did so as well.

They walked until the sun came up, like normal. Mallow kept an eye out for anyone while Jackal and Caldera set up a tent-like structure that was a little improved and lopsided.

"How'd you get away from your mother?" Caldera asked Jackal once they were almost done with the tent. Mallow could tell she was trying to choose the right words, as to prevent upsetting the SandWing.

"I just snuck out while she was sleeping. Two days after you left. I used the compass to find you." Jackal replied. "I'll probably be in a lot of trouble when I get back home, but it'll be okay as long as this isn't a lost cause and we actually stop Spectrum."

"I hope we do." Mallow said. "But I feel like we're pretty strong together. Yes, we aren't exactly well-loved, but who needs friends in high places when you have friends in low places?"

Caldera smiled, and Jackal showed his own kind of 'yeah me too but I'm not going to do anything and just act cool' thing, which Mallow has learned to take as a sign of affection. She loved this group of dragonets.


	8. Chapter 8

They rested during the day, and continued walking at night. Even after they left the area around the Scorpion Den, both Mallow and Jackal stayed alert. Mallow eventually took the lead again, with her wings brushing Jackal and Caldera on either side of her.

"How much longer so you think it'll take to get there?" Caldera asked. She looked over at the compass in Mallow's talon. "It looks like it's moved to the west a little."

"We could've just walked in a different way." Jackal pointed out. "We haven't always been walking straight ahead."

"Okay, then." Caldera replied. "But, still, how much longer do you think it'll take?"

"At least another day." Mallow said. "It'll probably be best if we scope out the area before we confront Spectrum. You know, plan escape routes and such."

"You mean find the best possible places to shove me and Caldera while you go die." Jackal said blandly.

Mallow whacked him playfully with her tail, and he grunted in reply.

"What do you think Spectrum would be like? Since she's probably trying to find more NightWings or plot something." Caldera said. "I feel sorta bad for her. Here she is, in Pyrrhia, without much knowledge of what's changed."

"Maybe she'll get killed by calling a queen the wrong name." Jackal muttered. It was quiet enough so then only Mallow could hear it. "Or the IceWings find her, and kill her because of their ancient grudge."

Mallow just shrugged, and looked at Caldera. "We can't pity her too much, or it'll make it harder to find the things that we need to stop." She said. "It's also a good way to get killed."

"Yeah…I guess." Caldera replied.

They walked in silence after that, thinking their own thoughts. Mallow hoped that everything would turn out all right.

…

They walked on for another day, then reached a sort of boundary. On the ground was several IceWing bodies, most decayed and old, but a few newer. Mallow shivered.

"We're going to have to fly over it." Mallow said.

"But I can't fly." Caldera pointed out. She looked at the ground. "We can't get any farther, can we?"

Mallow looked around. There was sea farther along, but there was no guarantee that they'd be able to get on the shore. And she didn't want to count on the fact that Caldera and Jackal could even swim—Mallow, honestly, tried to avoid deep water, although all of her siblings could hold their breath for an hour.

Mallow looked over at Caldera. She put her compass in the bag, and circled the SkyWing. "I think I have an idea, but it's a really stupid one." She said.

"This is Pyrrhia, for moons sake." Jackal replied. "Our whole world is full of stupid ideas. And it can't be any worse than fighting a dragon with next to no fighting skills to contradict theirs."

"Okay, so here's my idea: I could try to fly Caldera up there." Mallow said. "I know, it's dangerous. And she'll be falling on IceWing corpses." She looked at Jackal. "But you can't really fly either."

"I've never practiced, but it shouldn't be too hard." Jackal said.

"Well, how about you start. We'll wait until daylight so then we can think of a different plan, if we need to." Mallow replied. Jackal and Caldera nodded.


	9. Chapter 9

By the time the sun rose, no one had thought of any better plans. Mallow was forced to face the fact that she was the only one who knew how to fly, so she had to try to carry both of the younger dragonets into the peninsula. She hated the thought of leaving one of them behind, even for a few minutes, but she had to.

"Okay, are you ready?" Mallow asked Caldera. The wingless SkyWing nodded. "I am so sorry." Mallow whispered. She was lucky she was strong enough to pick Caldera up, although the added weight made it harder to fly.

"This might not work." Jackal observed.

"It's the only plan we have." Mallow replied. "Let's just hope that somehow it works." She took a deep breath, then started flapping. It was harder, for various reasons, and she almost dropped Caldera once or twice, but they successfully reached a spot where Caldera could hide while Mallow went back for Jackal.

The SandWing was waiting where Mallow had left him. She landed beside him and tried to pick him up. He was heavier and bigger than Caldera, which made it a little harder to carry him, but she managed.

Barely.

They made it safely to where Caldera was waiting, and all three sat down next to each other. It didn't take long for Caldera to fall asleep.

"I wonder what worthless, greedy dragonet-sitter Mother will pick off the streets at random." Jackal said. "What they'll want to steal first."

"I don't think every SandWing is greedy." Mallow replied. "You aren't. Your parents, technically speaking, aren't."

"My family is used to a certain amount of luxuries that are hard to come by in the middle of the desert." Jackal said. "Most dragons don't really have that. At least not in the town that I grew up in."

"Well, that's true, but that doesn't mean that whoever watched you is greedy." Mallow said. "Thy could be nice."

"'Nice' isn't a typical dragon trait." Jackal replied. "Nearly everyone we both know proves that. The ones who are truly nice are the ones that are killed and hated for it."

Mallow knew he was referencing Frute. She didn't know if it was a good or bad thing that she wasn't as emotional about it as she typically would. She looked at the sky, which was clear and sunny. "We should just get ready to sleep. We can try to find Spectrum in the morning." Mallow said.

"Fine, I guess." Jackal said. He shifted, so then he his back was to her, and quieted. Mallow did the same, keeping one wing spread over either of her young friends.

Mallow laid her head down, and closed to her eyes. She fell asleep closer then she thought she would.

…

Mallow was woken up several times by earthquakes. They were mostly mere rumbles that only lasted a second, but it was like being poked by a scavenger over and over again. Repetitional and obnoxious. Finally, though, night came.

Mallow looked up at the sky. Two moons were full, and it looked like there was a third one as well. It was very bright, almost like it was still daytime. She gently shook Jackal and Caldera awake.

"What is it?" Caldera asked sleepily.

"Look at the sky." Mallow whispered in reply. "It's…beautiful." She felt the SkyWing shift and gasp a little in awe. On her other side, Jackal did the same.

"It looks amazing…" Jackal said. "Is there really three moons up there?"

"I think it's only two, and a comet of some sort." Mallow said. It seemed like it should be an event recorded in history. A night like the Brightest Night…Mallow wondered if it meant anything special.


	10. Chapter 10

Mallow woke up with a figure standing in front of her. At first, she thought she was reliving the day she was defeated by Vervain, until she realized that the scales were black. But the eyes still shined with hatred and distrust.

"Did you really think I wouldn't expect you to come here?" Spectrum's voice said. "It's sad, really. I was thinking that maybe I wouldn't have to kill you…but it's too late for that."

Mallow became fully aware of her surroundings immediately. She was in a cave, by a ravine, with the distant smell of the sea in the air. She looked around. Neither Jackal nor Caldera were by her side. The cave was dark and cold.

"Where did you put them?" Mallow asked Spectrum. "What did you do to Jackal and Caldera?"

"Oh, don't worry. They're just in another cave." Spectrum replied. "Thank you, by the way. I watched how to worked together to get each other into the Night Kingdom—or the remains of it, anyway. Can you be helpful just one more time for me; why did they all leave?"

"There's a legend." Mallow explained, finding no harm in it. "I've only heard it once or twice. It says that, about two thousand years ago, there was a dragon born with foresight, mind-reading, and animus magic. His name was Darkstalker. Something happened, I guess, and the NightWings now live in hiding."

"Where?" Spectrum said. "Where do they live now."

"No one knows." Mallow replied.

Spectrum scraped her claws against Mallow's talon, causing it to bleed. "You're lying! Tell me the truth or I'll claw your throat out and display your decapitated head as a sign of achievement!" She screamed.

"I am telling the truth." Mallow said calmly. She didn't know why she was so calm. Maybe it's because she didn't see Spectrum as a huge threat. Maybe it's because she knew that Jackal and Caldera, for now, are safe.

Spectrum slashed at her again, this time by her wing. "Next time I'll aim for your heart! Tell me the truth or you'll be dying today!" She roared.

"If you kill me, you'll have to deal with Vervain." Mallow replied. "He'll kill you, because you killed me. Either that, or Jackal will kill you himself. If I die, so will you."

"I will live forever!" Spectrum said. "I will do what no one else has ever done! I will live forever, until the end of time! And I will be queen of everyone!" She leaned down to slash at Mallow again, but instead, Mallow only heard the cracking of bones as a rock flew out from nowhere and smacked into Spectrum's leg.

"Oh, sweet moons, Jackal." Mallow muttered. "You and your stupid animus magic. Don't scare me next time." She looked around, and she saw two small red and sandy-yellow shapes. Caldera and Jackal. She let out a sigh of relief. Mallow looked at Spectrum. The NightWing was now lying on the ground, bleeding and most likely unconscious.

Jackal and Caldera ran to Mallow.

"She didn't hurt you, did she?" Caldera asked.

"I'm fine." Mallow replied. "And you two are okay?" Caldera nodded.

Beside Spectrum, Jackal let out a sigh of relief. "Moons, for a second I thought I killed her. She's still breathing." He said. He turned to the others. "What should we do about her?"

"Patch her up a little, then once she wakes up makes sure she's not going to be evil." Mallow said. "Then I guess…we try to find where the NightWings live."

Jackal nodded. He walked over to examine Mallow, and hugged her, coming away slightly bloody. Mallow's heart broke, just for a second, as she remembered Frute. She pulled Caldera closer, and she hugged both of her friends. No, not friends…

Sibs.


	11. Chapter 11

The trio waited together for Spectrum to wake up. Mallow's wounds were covered in makeshift bandages, and Caldera and Jackal sat on either side of her.

Spectrum moved, slightly. Her eyes opened, but it didn't seem like she had the strength to move. She glared at Jackal. "You shattered by leg. You broke me. How dare you! You'll be the first dragon I kill when—"

"Before you even say it, I will explain to you exactly what I said when I enchanted it." Jackal said. "When I enchanted that rock to hit you, I also enchanted it to make it so then you could no longer cast harmful spells."

"You'd risk your soul, which you don't truly think is protected, so then you can contain me?" Spectrum replied. She laughed, which turned into a cough. "You'll never win!"

"At least, if I do go insane, I know that it was for a good reason." Jackal said. "What about you? What's your excuse? Mourning? Loss? Pain? Revenge? No. You're excuse is nothing."

Spectrum just glared at him. "What do you plan to do with me now, then?" She asked, her gaze shifting over the dragonets. "Kill me? Let me go? Leave me to die?"

"We're going to heal you enough so then you can walk, then find where the NightWings live." Mallow explained.

"We're not evil." Caldera added. "And neither are you. You're just sad, and angry. We were thinking that maybe you would be better living with the NightWings."

Jackal stood up, and walked over to Spectrum. He laid one talon on her, and said quietly, "Enchant this dragon so then she's healed enough to walk." It worked; Spectrum looked visibly less in pain, and she stood up. Before she could lash at him, Jackal stepped back.

"It'll break again if you move too fast." Jackal warned her. Spectrum growled in return.

"How do you know that I won't just kill you once I have the chance?" Spectrum said. "I'm pretty sure there are lots of NightWings who'd want to kill you, once they hear about you."

"And I'm pretty sure that lots of NightWings don't care." Mallow replied. "Please, just come with us. We'll find someone for you to live with, someplace for you to call home."

"What if I wanted to stay here?" Spectrum asked. "This is my kingdom. This is my home. This is where I was raised after the Scorching. What if I wanted to stay?"

Mallow was expecting an answer close to that. She had the perfect reply. "There's nothing here but bad memories for you. You'll wake up and go to sleep thinking of your sister, or your family, or your old friends. You'd die without any friends. But if we found where the NightWings went, then you'd be able to be a little bit more free from the past." She said.

Spectrum seemed to understand. Mallow honestly thought it would've been harder to convince her to leave, to stop trying to rule Pyrrhia. But maybe Spectrum was just pretending. But then…maybe she wasn't. Spectrum dipped her head and closed her eyes. "The NightWings are living in the Rainforest Kingdom." She said.

"The rainforest?" Caldera echoed. "Why there?"

"Their island had an active volcano on it." Spectrum explained. "It erupted, and they used tunnels that were built by an animus to escape to the rainforest."

"Who did you know all that?" Jackal asked.

"I've heard rumors, thoughts, and seen visions of these things." Spectrum replied. "There's another surprise for you…but I'll let your families tell you about that one." She started walking, slowly, to the entrance of the cave. "Shall we go?"

All three dragonets nodded. Mallow took the lead, and Jackal took the rear, leaving Caldera and Spectrum in the middle. They started their walk back home.

Sorry for the sucky ending, guys! I'll try to improve for later. Thanks for reading!


End file.
